Always Been More
by mypatronusishogwarts
Summary: A short oneshot based on the lake scene in The Cursed Child.


**AN: This is my first fic so I hope it's okay! :)**

The air hit Albus' face like a wall as he emerged, spluttering and coughing, from the lake. Gasping, he shook his head, sending droplets of water flying in all directions, and pushed his still sopping hair away from his eyes as he heard a cry from his right of "Albus!". He turned to see Scorpius a short distance from him, hair flattened to his head and an expression of shock and joy glowing on his face. "It's you! You're alive!"

Albus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as Scorpius continued. "I mean- you're here! It worked! You're really alive! Oh I'm so glad you're here!" His voice cracked with emotion, the complete euphoria apparent in every pore of his being.

"I'm- what? What are you on about, Scorpius?" Albus replied, searching his memories for some clue as to what Scorpius could be so shocked about. Granted, they had just turned time twenty years back and dived into the Lake to change history by preventing Cedric from completing the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, and now they were standing chest-deep in lake water, but he had never really been in any danger, had he?

He was jerked from his musings by a loud shout and a splash. He lifted his head to face Scorpius, and suddenly Scorpius' lips were on his and Scorpius' hands were in his hair and oh god Scorpius was kissing him with a passion that he would never have expected from the other boy, and then he realised that he was kissing back and his arms were around Scorpius' waist, and somehow it just felt _right_. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours before Albus pulled away, staring into Scorpius' eyes to find an explanation.

The fire that he found there took him by surprise – a blazing heat that burned into Albus' mind, taking his breath away. No sooner than he had registered it than it was gone, replaced by a wave of uncertainty, sheepishness and even shame. Scorpius drew back, running a hand through his dripping blonde hair. "I- sorry, Albus, I just- I thought-"

The blonde started to turn away, to start back towards the shore, and Albus instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. "No, Scorpius, wait."

Scorpius turned back to face Albus, embarrassment and anxiety written across his face. Albus took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I'm- I didn't mind." Ignoring the shock on Scorpius' face, he looked down at his hand around Scorpius' wrist and continued. "I never knew that you felt- that way. And I didn't want to assume that you did, in case I made an idiot of myself." He looked up, meeting Scorpius' eyes and noticing the surprise dawning in them. "You've always been more than a best friend to me, Scorpius. And I don't mind kissing you. I think I actually quite like it."

A grin started to grow across Scorpius' face, stretching from ear to ear and filling his face with such a gleeful expression that Albus couldn't help but smile too. "You mean," laughed Scorpius, "that you, Albus Severus Potter, want to kiss a Malfoy? A Malfoy _boy_?" He shook his head, still smiling in a shell-shocked kind of way. "I don't- really? Me? Really?"

Albus splashed water at Scorpius, soaking him again. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, idiot!" Scorpius wiped the water from his eyes, still grinning like the Cheshire cat, and Albus stepped closer to the other boy, lifting his chin to face him. This time, he didn't hesitate before leaning up slightly to kiss him again, trying to convey the depth of his relief and elation that _Scorpius liked him back_. The two boys stood locked in a tight embrace, only breaking apart when Scorpius shivered and pulled back to wrap his arms around himself. "As much as I am enjoying this, could we maybe find somewhere to carry this on that isn't cold and wet and, you know, in a lake?"

Albus grinned and took Scorpius' hand, tugging him towards to the shore. "Come on then. We'll find some blankets, and you can explain exactly why you were so surprised that I was alive."


End file.
